


Blinding

by queen_scribbles



Series: 73 Minutes [4]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 17:49:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17027280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: This reunion's five years overdue, nothing's going to stand in their way





	Blinding

 

Everything was white. Not the dull, serviceable white of military-issue armor, either, the pure, clean, _blinding_ variety that gave you a headache if you looked at it for too long. And it was _everywhere_ , making his temples throb whichever way he turned.

On second that, everything hurt; from his scalp down to his toes. That was probably thanks to something other than the light, blinding as it was. As the aches and pains sharpened into an awareness of his limbs, the lingering scent of kolto, whatever he was lying on, he was suddenly awash in a faint but nagging sense of urgency. He’d been doing something important, hadn’t he? 

The light faded and pain receded as consciousness sluggishly made its way back. Once pure white had diluted to dull dark grey, he forced his eye open. A blurry, dark-haired figure was perched on the edge of the bed... table... whatever he was lying on with his head in their lap. A few blinks and the image sharpened into _her_.

“Now there’s a sight worth wakin’ up to,” Tel mumbled hoarsely, the words feeling gritty but familiar.

Elara smiled, just as tolerantly as the first time he’d used that line, and ran her fingers through his hair. “Welcome back.” Quietly as she said them, he still caught the quaver under the words.

“Worried about me, Els?” he croaked teasingly. Stars, had he swallowed a desert while unconscious?

Her smile wavered around the edges. “A positive nervous wreck.”

“Hey...” Tel pushed himself up to a sitting position, grimacing as the headache intensified briefly at the movement before fading. He swung his legs around so he was sitting next to her rather than perpendicular and took her hand in his. “I’m okay, Els.”

“You very nearly weren’t, love,” Elara said softly, bobbling the datapad she held in her other hand. “I just reviewed your updated bioscan. D’you know how fortunate you are to even be alive after nerve damage that severe?”

Tel nodded, still vaguely smelling ozone as he drew in a deep breath. “I’m guessing somewhere between _very_ and _extremely_?”

Elara set aside the datapad to hold his hand in both of hers. “Absolutely correct. Know what saved you?”

“Aside from the best damn medic in the galaxy?”

Her lips twitched in a hint of a smile. “Aside from that, yes. Your leg.” She reached over and tapped her fingers against his right knee. “The cybernetics drew enough of the energy surge away from your heart and brain to prevent any irreparable damage. And the techs were able to fix it while you were undergoing kolto immersion.” She let her hand linger a minute before pulling back. “Which seems to have done the trick. I’d still recommend temporary polarized cranial implants, just to be safe.”

Tel pressed himself closer to her and squeezed her hand as he murmured, voice still rough, “Sounds complicated.” He lightly kissed her cheek just in front of her ear. “Any rules or regs you need me aware of before you start operating?”

Elara turned to flash him a wobbly smile. “Oh, I think you’re well beyond the reach of standard Republic regulations.”

“That special, am I?” Tel joked, swinging his foot so it lightly bumped against hers.

Rather than laugh, or roll her eyes, Elara let out a shaky, verge-of-tears breath and leaned over until her temple rested against his cheek. “We searched for you. _I_ searched... _Endlessly_. You weren’t...”

“Els, Els, Els.” He slid from the table--right leg whining a brief complaint and almost buckling--and pivoted to face her. “I know it was hard.” He rested his forehead against hers, slid both hands into her grasp. “But you found me, okay? I’m here.”

Her next deep breath sounded much more steady. “I know.” She pulled back slightly to look at him. “And I feel you should know... I’m sure Jorgan filled you in on what happened while you were... gone, but, my role as Havoc commander didn’t survive the politics.”

“He told me,” Tel nodded. “It may have been one of the first things I asked.”

“In diplomatic tones, I hope,” Elara said with a hint of dry humor. “He fought them, and fought them hard, when they removed me from my position.”

“Really?” He had to admit some surprise at that; Jorgan had never seemed to progress past grudging respect for the squad XO.

“Oh, yes.” She smiled slightly. “Said I’d earned the CO spot, and he had some experience with losing what you earned because you make a convenient scapegoat for higher-ups. He only let it go after Malcolm stepped in and assigned me to his personal staff. It was a good position, one that allowed me to serve the Republic _and_ keep looking for you.” A troubled look filtered into her deep brown eyes. “But I... I had stop, eventually. It was apparent I wasn’t going to find you. I had to move on, hard as it was. Focus on the future.” Elara sighed, pulled one hand free to rest against his chest. “And now you’re back as... as _this_ , Alliance commander, when I have hundreds of soldiers depending on me for leadership.” He head bowed. “I couldn’t abandon them. Not when I’d already abandoned you-”

“Stop that, sweetheart.” Tel tipped her chin up with his free hand, thumb rubbing softly against her cheek. “You didn’t _abandon_ me. You couldn’t _find_ me. There’s a huge kriffin’ difference there, Els. You have _nothing_ to apologize for.”

The vehemence in his voice seemed to reassure her, but the words still shook when she spoke. “I _swore_ to find you. To rescue you... to bring you _home_.”

“Hey...” He tugged her off the table, standing with mere centimeters between them, and wrapped his arms around her to pull her even closer. “Mission accomplished, Elara. _You_ are my home.” He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. “Every obstacle, every time I thought it was over... I’d think of you and keep going. Keep fighting. _You_ got me here.”

“You certain it wasn’t just your stubborn streak, dearest?” Elara asked, a playful note edging out from under the tremor in her voice.

Tel laughed. “I’m sure that _helped_ , but it was mostly you.”

Elara’s hands slid up around the back of his head and she pulled him down into a kiss. A very hungry, five years overdue, kiss that left his head spinning and both of them breathing hard when they parted. “I...” She took a moment to compose herself and moved a reluctant half-step back. “I left some, ah, labs running. I should check on them, come up with some more options for your condition.” She met his gaze, eyes alive with such determined affection it made him want to melt. “I’m not losing you again.”

He pulled her back when she started walking away. “Els.”

“Darling, Lana and Theron wanted to talk to you when you woke. I’ve already stalled you long enough. There will be more time to talk, but later. Duty calls us both.”

“You’re right, as usual.” Tel stole a quick kiss. “I love you.”

She smiled, blindingly warm, resting one hand against his cheek. “I love you, too, dearest. Now go talk to your people, let me check my labs, and then we can take all the time in the galaxy.”

He smiled broadly as they went their separate ways. _I like the sound of that._

**Author's Note:**

> I gave Elara first dibs on Tel(rather than Lana and Theron) because I feel like as a medic and his wife both, she would want to stay close and monitor things. Also, Rule of Cute and all that. Because I can, etc etc. :P The first bit of dialogue after Tel wakes up is a reference to In Good Hands, because he’s absolutely the kind of guy who would do that.


End file.
